Conventionally, various types of aircraft utilize landing gear which include a device or component designed to reduce wheel oscillations (also referred to as “shimmy”) when the landing gear is in contact with the ground. Wheel shimmy is a condition in which an aircraft wheel or wheels oscillate from side to side perpendicular to the direction of travel of the aircraft and/or rotates back and forth about the landing gear strut centerline. Wheel shimmy can be caused by a number of conditions such as low torsional stiffness, excessive “free play” in the landing gear, wheel imbalance, and/or worn parts. Uncontrolled wheel shimmy may be detrimental to the aircraft structure.
Dampers, such as hydraulic dampers, have been used to damp wheel shimmy. For example, a hydraulic damper mounted between components of the landing gear that have a tendency to move relative to each other during wheel shimmy, such as torque links, may be used to damp shimmy. Hydraulic dampers may be associated with increased complexity, frequent maintenance, and may be sensitive to temperature fluctuations.